Spicy chili pairs perfectly with red wine for Super Bowl delight

MANTECA - Chef Michael Midgley leads the culinary team at Ernie's Food & Spirits in Manteca but he's also a bit of a celebrity after appearances as a contestant and judge on network TV shows.

Jo Ann Kirby

MANTECA - Chef Michael Midgley leads the culinary team at Ernie's Food & Spirits in Manteca but he's also a bit of a celebrity after appearances as a contestant and judge on network TV shows.

Earlier this month, he survived an episode of the Food Network's "Cutthroat Kitchen" and came home a winner.

But his day job lets him do what he loves best - designing modern versions of traditional menu items, creatively, yet simply.

As the Super Bowl is upon us, Midgley shared a recipe for Texas Spicy Chili that's perfect for pairing with a red wine.

The dish is on Ernie's lunch and dinner menus as an appetizer, where the braised filet mignon chili is topped with cheddar and jack cheeses, corn chips and served with a crostini.

"I only have it on the menu in the winter," he said. "It's spicy, but not too spicy, and the meat's, like, really tender.

He suggests pairing it with a Lodi wine.

Sorelle Winery, a boutique vineyard and winery established by the Scott family out on Highway 88, has a Lodi-grown Tuscan-style red wine blend. The 2011 Sorelle Russo Red is 75 percent cabernet sauvignon and 25 percent sangiovese.

"It perfectly balances out the heat and the acidity of the chili," he said of the wine. "It's a more delicate red wine. It's not too peppery. It has a hint of citrus, maybe orange."

In a large pot, cook the onion, minced garlic, bell pepper, cilantro and chipotle chilis in a bit of oil. Add the chicken broth and Corona and cook for 10 minutes. Add the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and all the dry spices except for the meat tenderizer and brown sugar. Mix well. In a separate pan, brown the meat in the Wesson Oil and drain well. Sprinkle the meat with tenderizer and add it to the large pot of other ingredients. Simmer for two and a half hours. Add more beer if it's too thick. Mix in the brown sugar and Tabasco just prior to serving.